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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. mate — a friend
  3. tube — a container
  4. press — newspapers
  5. land — to come down
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. mate — a partner
  8. tube — the underground
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. mate — to breed
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. land — a country
  15. fall — to drop
  16. land — ground
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. press — a publisher
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. fall — the season
  24. press — to push

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com